March 03, 2010

This S2KM blog post strategically analyzes the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) 2010 Special Needs Summit from a structured settlement perspective. A prior S2KM post summarized
the NAELA Special Needs Summit. A subsequent S2KM post will
strategically analyze the NAELA Special Needs Summit from the
perspective of Internet-based knowledge management.

For related S2KM learning resources, see S2KM's public read-only wikis:

From a structured settlement perspective, the strategic business overlap with special needs attorneys encompasses disabled personal injury victims, their families and trial attorneys.
Various knowledge leaders, knowledge networks and communities of practice within this strategic business and public domain utilize
alternative terminology to describe their businesses without comparative analysis of the terminology itself. Here are some
recommended resources to help special needs attorneys understand this
growing legal market segment:

S2KM regularly attends and publishes reports summarizing and analyzing national educational conferences
sponsored by selected professional associations and universities whose
speakers and attendees participate within the strategic business overlap of
structured settlements and special needs law:

Why should special needs attorneys be interested in structured settlement law? This S2KM structured settlement diagram
summarizes a complex legal and financial transaction that requires
special needs legal knowledge, documentation and representation and
also presents business and career opportunities for special needs
attorneys:

In a related announcement, Forge named Patrick Hindert (Managing
Director) and Timothy Morbach (Director of Sales) as TSSG's new
executive directors. Hindert will continue to serve as Managing
Director of S2KM Limited. Morbach previously worked as Vice
President-Investments at UBS Financial Services Inc.

Garretson: "TSSG and Forge now have one of the most innovative
and comprehensive lineups of financial services available in the
personal injury field for both single event and mass tort settlements.
The sale of TSSG to Forge, however, will have no impact on the
Garretson Firm and its services. The Garretson Firm will continue to
serve its clients with superior lien resolution, claims administration,
bankruptcy and probate coordination, settlement allocations, Medicare
Set-Aside analysis, and Qualified Settlement Fund services".

Schell: “TSSG and Forge have a longstanding cooperative
relationship on numerous single event and mass tort cases. Both
companies share a common goal of serving the settlement community as
well as mutual respect as two of the country's leading settlement
planning firms.

"With leadership from Pat Hindert and Tim Morbach, TSSG will operate
autonomously as an independent firm with a claimant/plaintiff centric
message. TSSG will provide all stakeholders access to “the power of structure” unencumbered by historic structured settlement business practices.

"TSSG will facilitate comprehensive solutions featuring structured
settlements and incorporating other government benefits. TSSG will
improve structured settlement performance and enhance the role of
structured settlements within the larger settlement services industry
Matt Garretson and Forge have helped to define. TSSG will improve and
grow the structured settlement market with this broader independent
message."

Morbach: “Pat Hindert and I are excited for the opportunity to
work together at TSSG. Our Mission is to develop the leading structured
settlement business model based upon Matt Garretson's structured
settlement legacy and complementary with Forge's plaintiff-centric
commitment. TSSG's business model will meet standards in the wider
financial services industry where product providers and their agents
must 'know their customer' and meet "best interest" tests.

"Pat and I view structured settlements as a core settlement service
product. From an investment and financial planning perspective,
structured settlement annuities represent a strategic asset class
within the settlement services and special needs markets. We see many
opportunities to improve and grow structured settlements."

TSSG will be based in Cincinnati, Ohio with initial offices in
Cincinnati and Northville, MI. For further inquiries, please contact
TSSG Managing Director, Patrick Hindert, at (513) 899-2100 or pjhindert@tssg.net.